Visible-record file



ug- 5, 1939- R. MARTIN 1,772,154

VISIBLE RECORD FILE Filed Aug. 15, 1927 '30 as to be supportedby theholder.

Patented Aug. 5, 1930 f UNITED STATES PATENT'-foI-5FICE ROBERT MARTIN,oF BERLIN-CHARLOTTENRURG, GERMANY vVISIBLE-BdilimRID FILE i Applicationled AugustV 15, 1927, Serial No. 213,003, and in Germany August 2,6,1926.

' My invention relates to visible record les or card indexes of the typewhich includesl a frame having opposed guides and a plurality of cardsor sheets interchangeably sup- 1 At5 ported between said guides to havean overlapping relation relative to each other.

In card indexes of this type as hitherto designed it has been the usualpractice to pivotally sustain the cardsso that by swinging '10 thecardsupwards aboveany desired card,

the subject matter onk said card'will be exposed to view. In order toenable the user to withdraw the cards singly in Order to replace them byother cards or to write thereon with a typewriter, means have beenprovided for sustaining the cards in the frame in different ways. It hasfor instance been suggested to secure each card to a carrier such as awire by means of eyes or hinges formed on the card, the wire beingremovably and preferably slidably mounted in bearing holes in theopposed guides of the frame. It has also been suggested to clampv one ofthe edges of the card betweenresiliently cooperating parts of a suitablecarrier. Another way of supporting the cards in the frame was 'by meansof card holders pivotally secured to the frame and having pockets formedthereon into which the cards could be'inserted so In another card indexsystem these pockets were replaced by tongues'or other means-of fixationsecured to the bottom edge of the card support, such tongues or fixationmeans extending in parallel with the support and the cards beinginserted between and withdrawn from the supports in a direction parallelto them. In another system no xation means were provided, the cardsbeing simply insert- '40 ed between plain holders and being thereforeliable to slip thereon andto drop out altogether. 1

'It is an object of my invention to provide a card index in which thecards or the like are prevented from slipping or dropping out frombetween the holders and can still be withdrawn in the simplest way bymerely lifting their bottom edges and pulling them out.

It is a further object of my .invention to provide a card index which issimpler in yconstruction and more reliable in use than most of thedevices hitherto designed.

With these and other objects in view I am now going to describe myinvention with reference to the drawings accompanying this specificationand forming part thereof, which show a modied form of a card index orvisible record file embodying my invention.

In the drawingsp Fig. l is a plan view ofa frame ywith a number ofoverlapping card holders and cards or sheets mounted thereon, aplurality of such frames or holders being as a rule supported ina'cabinet to be withdrawn singly for use. f

Fig. 2 is a cross-section.

Fig. 8 is a similar view, drawn toalarger scale, of part of the frameand rcard holders secured to it.

Fig. 4l is a perspective view of two card holders arranged inoverlapping position.

Fig. 5is a longitudinal cross-section of the framefand holders in Fig.l, drawn to a larger scale and showing the holders in different relativepositions.

Fig. 6 is a still larger cross-section showing a modified form.

Referring lirst to Figs. 1 5, the individual cards l, l are supported ina frame 2 which may be made of any suitable material, preferably ofsheet metal, and which is lined with a wooden frame 3 `in which areformed Vbearings for a number of superposed wires or hinge pins 4, towhich are pivotally secured the card holders 5. Thesefholders "may bemade of sheet metal, Celluloid, compressed cardboard or some othersuitable material and in the form here shown are cut out' in theirmiddle lportion in order to save weight andinaterial. f Hinges 6 areformed near the upper corners of each holder, while extension portionsadjoining the lower corners are bent at an angle of somewhat less than90 degs. to the main portion of the holder, thereby forming hook-shapedrests or abutments 7 for thecards to be inserted.

Fig.V l shows a number of such holders 5 hinged to the frame 2 betweenthe guides i3 and the cardsl supported thereon in overlapping relation,'resting with their bottom edges on the hook-shaped abutments 7Obviously the cards cannot slip out between the holders even if theframe should be held in inverted position, being prevented from droppingby the hook-shaped abutments 7 and by the pressure exerted by theoverlapping holders.

On the other hand, if one of the cards is to be withdrawn, its bottomedge, being entirelyy free and unobstructed', need merely be grippedwith the iingernail and slightly lifted from the support, the overlyingholders and cards being lifted along with it, until the card is free ofthe abutments 7 of its holder. Obviously, as soon asthe bottom edge ofthe card vhas been lifted above the top 'edges 4of the abutments 7,iftcan simply be pulled out. In order to reinsert the card between theholders, all that is required is to place its top edge on the ltop edgesof the abutments 7 formingpart of the vrespectiveholder and to push thecard forward so as lto force its top edge beneath the overlying holder,whereupon the card as a whole can be pushed in between the two 'holdersand can be slipped over the top edges of the abutments 7 of its ownholder.

Owing to this arrangement any cards, folded sheets or the like can beinserted, held in position and withdrawn with the greatest ease andwithout losing any of the advantages 'alforded bv the visible recordsystem. The

holders 5 can be manufactured at very low cost and are strong enough tostandthe inevitable wear and tear. There is no need to remove theholders, which may be permanently connected with the frame, and there isno need .for employing cards or sheets prepared in any vparticularmanner, provided that they be out to size to fit in between two holderswith their bottom edge resting on the two abutments 7. Y

In order Vtoenable the user to swing the card holders backwards throughan angle of 90 degs. ormore, without the hook-shaped abutments of oneholder catching inthe abutments of the adjoining holder, I preferproviding inclined guide pieces l() on each holder near the abutments,the height of such guide Vpieces being preferably at least the same asAthe height of the abutments and their length and position being such asnot to interfere with the adjoining holder, when `the holders `are atrest. Fig. 5 shows how the guide pieces l0 will prevent a top holder 5from catching in the abutments 7 of a bottom holder, the top holder, ontheholders being swungbaclr, riding on the guide pieces l0 of the bottomholder and being thus'carried clear of the topedges of the abutments.The guide pieces further serve toy prevent the abutments from catchingin the cabinet when returning the frame into its position of rest.

`In Fig. 6 means areshown forfpreventing any undue displacement of thecards relative to their holders and more especially the catching of thetop portions of the cards between the hinge pins and the iframe whentilting the holders. Here segmental sheetmetal pieces 1l are secured,for instance by means of solder, to the hinge ends on each side of eachholder 5, these segments 1l being disposed concentrically to the hingeaxis and extending at right-angles and below the on the next holderabove, which slide in rcontact with it when the holders above vare swungup, and prevent vthe card from slipping. l/Vhen said ,segments haveymoved vpast the top edge of the card, the latter is still held againstslipping, in all positions of its own swing, by the rails l2.

The abutments 7 are shown in the drawing to be spaced from the outerbottom corners of the holders, inorder to `preventtheir interfering withthe cabinet wall, in which :the frames-are movably located.

Obviously the abut-ments 7fand1gu'ide'pieces l0 aswell as the hinges 6Ycan vbe made'sepa` rate VJfrom `the body of the holder, which may beformed for instance of `a cardboard or Celluloid sheet, the abutments,guide Vpieces and hinges being made of metal and being riveted orotherwise fastened to the body.

In the example shown inthe drawings ythe 'S yholders are-hinged to theframe, butobviously any other way of movably uniting them with the framemight be adopted,including a resilient connection between fthegparts. f

I wish it to be understood that'I do not de- -sire to 4be limited to theexact' details ofco'nstruction'. shown and `described for obvious,modifications will Voccur to a person skilledin the art.

I claim 1. A card holder for card indexes comprising afbody portion, anabutment near the bottom edge of'and extending substantially v'at rightangles to said Abody portion, anda-pair of 'substantially semi-circularsegments, one l stantially atlright fangles thereto `to form a rest forthekbottomedges ofthe cards.

3. A card index comprising a frame, card holdersu-rockably fmounted `inlsaid il-rame overlapping relation, means associated with said holdersfor preventing cards placed thereon from slipping off while allowing thecards to be lifted free of said supports without any substantialparallel displacement and means for preventing said'holders fromhindering each others rocking motion.

4;. A card index comprising a frame, card holders rockably mounted insaid frame in overlapping relation, abutments associated with saidholders for preventing cards placed thereon from slipping off whileallowing the cards to be lifted free of said supports without anysubstantial parallel displacement and an inclined guide on one holderfor the bottom edge of an adjoining holder.

5. A card index comprising a frame, card holders rockably mounted insaid frame in overlapping relation, abutments near the bottom edges ofsaid holders extending substantially at right-angles thereto to form arest for the bottom edges of the cards and a curved guide rail arrangedon said frame near each holder to prevent slipping of the card on thesame, when the holder is being tilted.

6. A card index comprising a frame, card holders rockably mounted insaid frame in overlapping relation, abutments near the free edges ofsaid holders extending substantially at right angles thereto to form arest for the bottom edges of the cards, a substantially semicircularsegment formed near the top edge of each holder and at right anglesthereto adapted to prevent slipping of the card on the adjoining holderand a curved guide rail associated with each holder to prevent Slippingof the card on the same, when the holder is being tilted.

7. A card holder for card indexes comprising a body portion and meansnear the bottom edge of said body portion for preventing a card placedthereon from slipping off while allowing the card to be lifted .free ofsaid body portion without any substantial paral! lel displacement, themiddle part of said body portion intermediate said means being cut outto allow the bottom edge of the card placed thereon to be gripped frombelow.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT MARTIN.

